South Korea and U.S. launch massive air defense exercise

SEOUL, May 23 -- The South Korean and U.S. air forces launched Monday a massive, regular joint exercise to sharpen their ability to work together in simulated war situations, the South's Air Force said Monday.

The annual Max Thunder exercise, which will run through Friday, involves about 60 warplanes, including a fleet of F-15K fighter jets from the South and F-16 fighters as well as AWACS air surveillance planes from the U.S., the Air Force said in a statement.

Some 300 pilots from the allies were mobilized for the drill over the southwestern airspace of the Korean Peninsula, Air Force officials said.

"This year's exercise is aimed at allowing airmen to practice their war-fighting skills in realistic combat situations," an Air Force official said.

Training missions include simulating air battles with four or eight jets and neutralizing an enemy's air defense system in case of an all-out war, according to the statement.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high following North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South last year -- the March 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship and the November bombardment of a southern island.

About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.